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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2025
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)
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Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge
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Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70
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Feature: All Boxed Up for Christmas (December 2025)
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Album review : LYNCH MOB – Dancing With The Devil
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Album review: CYTRUS – Duality
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Latest Gig Reviews
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Author Archives: jason
Album review: THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Toward The Fray
Americana Vibes/regime Music Group [Release date 25.03.22] GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass, folk and Americana outfit, the Infamous Stringdusters, have been making music since 2006 and ‘Toward the Fray’ is the band’s first original album since 2019’s ‘Rise Sun’. The Infamous Stringdusters … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, bluegrass, country, review, the Infamous Stringdusters, Toward The Fray
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Album review: PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS – Only Passing Through
InsideOut Music [Release date 01.04.22] Pattern-Seeking Animals consists of current and former Spock’s Beard members Ted Leonard, Jimmy Keegan and Dave Meros in addition to long-time contributing songwriter-producer John Boegehold. ‘Only Passing Through’ is the band’s third album and again … Continue reading
Gig review: THE PORTRAITS & DOM PRAG, Harwell Village Hall, Friday 18 March 2022
Another lovely little venue literally on my doorstep, where Big Ginger Tom Music have been putting on monthly folk themed gigs for a few years now. Of course the pandemic brought a halt to these, but credit to the husband … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Big Ginger Tom Music, Dom Prag, folk, folk rock, gig, Harwell Village Hall, live music, pop, review, The Portraits
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Album review: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS – The Garden
Escape Records [Release date 25.03.22] ‘The Garden’ is the album put together by Bruce Mee (of Fireworks magazine) as a tribute to his mother, who died of cancer in 2020. The studio project is called Circle of Friends because the … Continue reading
Album review: PHARMACOSE – Prescription Fiction
Indie [Release date 22.02.22] Rock is a genre that holds the key to so many subgenres. The umbrella term for so many artists, it may seem too broad a word. But sometimes we really do just need the reliability of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alt rock, indie, Pharmacose, Prescription Fiction, review, rock
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Album review: THE VIBRATORS – The Albums 1985-1990
Captain Oi!/Cherry Red One of the finest bands of the original punk era, the early years of The Vibrators have already been comprehensively collected by Cherry Red in two previous box sets. Their commercially successful years were well behind them … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged box set, Cherry Red Records, Oi!, punk, punk rock, reissue, review, The Albums 1985-1990, The Vibrators
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Album review: BLACK VALLEY MOON – Songs From The Black Valley
Otitis Media Records [Release date 25.02.22] Black Valley Moon was formed in 2019 by guitarist Sam Williams (Down By Law) and started as an instrumental surf band, however, during the recent global pandemic they added vocalist Ray Vega. The band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Black Valley Moon, Down By Law, goth, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, Songs From The Black Valley
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Album review: ANDY IRVINE & PAUL BRADY
Compass Records [Release date 04.03.22] Andy Irvine/Paul Brady is an album recorded by Andy Irvine and Paul Brady when they formed a duo, after Planxty broke up for the first time in 1975. For this recording they were joined by … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Andy Irvine, classic album, Donal Lunny, folk, Paul Brady, Planxty, re-issue, review, the Bothy Band
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Quick plays: PAUL TASKER, BLACK LAKES, D’ERCOLE
PAUL TASKER Tierra Quemada Yellowroom Records [Release date 01.04.22] Paul Tasker is now releasing his second instrumental album, best known for being co-songwriter with Doghouse Roses and a previous member of the Willard Grant Conspiracy. The album’s title translates to … Continue reading
Gig review: THE HAWKMEN – The Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 3 March 2022
New venue to this reviewer, the Face Bar is a nice little venue tucked away from the main nightlife area of Reading. One thing Reading certainly has is a lively and varied nightlife! A decent sized crowd for a Thursday … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues, Georgia Satellites, gig, Northern soul, pyschobilly, reading, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, The Face Bar, the Hawkmen, Thursday 3 March 2022, Tom Webber
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Single review: MORS PRINCIPIUM EST – The Lust Called Knowledge
AFM Records You have to confess that the emphasis is on the “Melodic” when Mors Prncipium Est are described as Melodic Death Metal. New album, ‘Liberate The Unborn Humanity’, which is an interesting proposition, is due out on 8 April … Continue reading
News: SKID ROW, STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL, BOWLING FOR SOUP (March 2022)
Belle and Sebastian’s new album ‘A Bit Of Previous’ will arrive on May 6 via Matador. Graham Bonnet Band will release a new album, ‘Day Out In Nowhere’, on May 13 via Frontiers. Don Airey guests on one song. Bowling For Soup … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged AOR, blues, Bowling for Soup, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, New releases, news, prog rock, rock, Skid Row, Steelhouse Festival, tour dates
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EP review: THE CRUX – Time and Space
Facebook [Release date 22.04.22] The Crux were founded in 2009 by heavy metal loving brothers James Boyd & Neil Ward. Having released a self-titled EP in 2009 under the name Warcrux, they played multiple shows in Northern Ireland & Ireland … Continue reading
Album review: BIRD IN THE BELLY – After The City
GF*M Records [Release date 25.02.22] Bird in the Belly return with their third record ‘After the City’. A concept record based around the novel ‘After London; or Wild England’ by Richard Jefferies, is an early example of post-apocalyptic fiction first … Continue reading
Album review: THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – Fascination
Metropolis Records [Release date 18.02.22] Have you ever craved the thick tones of electric guitars over synths in a dark, electronic cocktail of gothic delightfulness? The Birthday Massacre might just be the thing you are missing. Unless of course, like … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, darkwave, Fascination, goth, melodic, metal, review, synth rock, the Birthday Massacre
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Album review: SEAN TAYLOR – The Beat Goes On
www.seantaylorsongs.com [Release date 14.01.22] Sean Taylor said he has made a deliberate attempt to accentuate a positive message of enjoying life through arts, love, music, things that bring people together. He sings “lose yourself in music, feel every note that … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, jazz, melodic, pop, review, Sean Taylor, singer songwriter, The Beat Goes On
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Interview: RONNI LE TEKRO
Ronni Le Tekrø is considered one of the world’s most influential metal guitarists, first and foremost with his band TNT, but also as a solo artist and studio musician. Tekrø has sold over 4 Million albums with TNT and was … Continue reading
Gig review: CHANTEL McGREGOR & AYNSLEY LISTER – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 6 February 2022
Original co-headliner, Finnish guitarist Erja Lyytinen, was unable to travel due to Covid restrictions. Fortunately, Chantel McGregor could call upon an old friend, Aynsley Lister, to join her for three nights of her tour, the last of which was at … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 06 February 2022, AYNSLEY LISTER, blues, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, gig, guitarists, Milton Keynes, review, rock, The Stables
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Album review: TRICK OR TREAT – Creepy Symphonies
Scarlet Records [Release date 01.04.22] ‘Creepy Symphonies’ is the seventh studio album from Trick Or Treat, who always entertain with their music. Like Freedom Call, Trick Or Treat like to think of their music as happy metal. Vocalist Alle Conti … Continue reading
EP review: LORDS OF RUIN – Ruin Within
Website [Release 24.01.22; streaming services from 14.02.22] Metal band, Lords of Ruin have released their long-awaited debut EP, following the inevitable Covid delays to production and release, which have affected so many up-and-coming bands. It literally stalled them in their … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, heavy metal, Lords of Ruin, metal, review, Ruin Within
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Single review: SKINNY KNOWLEDGE – I Wonder
Facebook [Release date 25.02.22] Bournemouth based rockers, Skinny Knowledge follow up on their awesome debut album, ‘Don’t Turn Out the Lights’ with a new single, ‘I Wonder’. The single continues the band’s own brand of high energy, alternative rock that … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged hard rock, I Wonder, NWOCR, review, rock, single, Skinny Knowledge
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Album review: JAMIE’S GUNS – Sex, Drugs & Weapons of War
Facebook [Release date 04.01.22] This band was one of my lucky finds in 2021, when I spotted the debut self-titled album in the NWOCR Facebook group, and I have been sharing their music far and wide ever since, whilst eagerly … Continue reading
Album review: JOHNNY COPPIN – River Of Dreams
Red Sky Records [Release date 25.02.22] Johnny Coppin is a singer songwriter who was a member of Decameron back in the 1970′s and has released over a dozen solo albums to date. He has toured as part of a duo … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, folk, Johnny Coppin, review, River Of Dreams, Rosanne Cash, singer songwriter
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Album review: SLADE – Alive, Slade In Flame (splatter vinyl)
BMG [Release date 26.11.21] BMG continue their excellent Slade reissue campaign. The West Midlands glam rock legends had many a hit in the 70s. Fronted by Noddy Holder, they were the face of laddish glam hard rock. After a difficult … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 70's rock, album, Alive, BMG, classic album, glam rock, hard rock, Jim Lea, Noddy Holder, reissue, review, rock, Slade, Slade In Flame
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Album review: PETER KNIGHT & JOHN SPIERS – Both In A Tune
Website [Release date 11.02.22] Peter Knight defines a progressive musician as he always seeks to further his music, be it traditional tunes given a new arrangement, or his own compositions. Famous of course as a member of Steeleye Span until … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bellowhead, Both In A Tune, folk, Gigspanner, instrumental, John Spiers, Peter Knight, progressive, review, Steeleye Span
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